Africa-Press – South-Africa. The University of Fort Hare will challenge Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane’s urgent court bid to have an investigation into his allegedly bogus degree declared invalid and stopped.
Mabuyane launched the application in the Eastern Cape High Court in Bhisho before the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) was scheduled to question him as part of its probe into the allegations.
Vice-chancellor and principal professor Sakhela Buhlungu reaffirmed UFH’s responsibility to cooperate with law enforcement and would defend the matter in the High Court.
Buhlungu said the instruction of the investigation issued by president Cyril Ramaphosa did not affect the standing of the institution’s qualifications.
Buhlungu added the university implemented a multi-stakeholder mandate to restore its reputation.
“Internal and external investigations enable the university to understand, examine and address matters that have adversely affected the institution in the past,” he said.
News24 reported that Mabuyane argued that Ramaphosa failed to understand that the university did not fall under the SIU’s scope of investigation because it is not identified as a public institution.
Mabuyane previously denied academic fraud after News24 first reported that he was implicated in fraud.
The report cited a forensic report implicating him in fraudulent admission to the institution and registration for a Master’s degree and, later, a PhD in Public Administration, although only having a BCom degree.
The report alleged that Mabuyane solicited the assistance of former UFH Professor Edwin Ijeoma , his team of “research assistants”, and ghostwriters to help flesh out his Master’s proposal despite not meeting the requirements to pursue this qualification without honours.
He dismissed both reports as a smear campaign and an attempt to taint his reputation.
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